The present invention relates to a seat brake apparatus for an industrial vehicle.
A typical industrial vehicle, such as a forklift, has a seat brake apparatus that automatically activates a brake when its operator is not seated on the operator seat. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-203397 describes an industrial vehicle equipped with a prior art seat brake apparatus. The seat brake apparatus includes a swing arm that is connected to a hood, which covers a battery compartment. The hood pivotally supports the swing arm in the forward and rearward directions of the industrial vehicle. A seat is arranged on the swing arm. The swing arm is connected to a link mechanism, which is arranged in the battery compartment. A spring, which activates the link mechanism, constantly urges the swing arm forward. When the operator gets off the seat, or when the weight of the operator is removed from the seat, the urging force of the spring pivots the arm and the seat forward. This activates a parking brake.
The urging force of the spring moves the link mechanism in the lateral direction of the industrial vehicle. However, the link mechanism must convert the lateral movement to the pivoting movement of the arm in the forward and rearward directions of the industrial vehicle. This results in an increased number of components and a complicated structure. Thus, the assembling of the link mechanism is difficult and takes time. Further, the link mechanism occupies a relatively large space in the battery compartment. This restricts the size, shape, and location of the battery.